


Day 116

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [116]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [116]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 2





	Day 116

Meredith was tired of dealing with the Seeker’s presence in her circle. She had expected him to leave long ago but he had a perverse talent for finding new things to investigate. He had also seemingly claimed Cullen’s tranquill secretary, Alba, for himself, as though she were an object to be taken and not staff to be assigned. Meredith was well aware of the ways templars, or even mages, took advantage of the tranquill’s placid nature and as a result she took the assignment of assistants very seriously.

Today there were no bloodmades abducting people, demons terrorizing the citizens of Darktown or circle mages trying to escape (that she knew of anyway) so she had decided it was time for them to have a chat about Alba. The seeker answered her summons readily enough, Alba in tow. Meredith had her personal tranquil assistant, Elsa, present as well to record the meeting.

“Is there something I should be aware of,” asked the seeker, taking a seed before Meredith had offered one. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his foot over his knee. The seeker was not in his armor today and Meredith was not sure if she should take the casualness of his appearance as a slight against her. She chose to believe that, after a very active week, even by Kirkwall standards, he was taking the opportunity to relax a bit.

“I don’t have any reports of apostate activity,” Meredit replied to the man. “I wanted to discuss your… interest in one of my tranquill.”

“Your tranquill?” The seeker cocked an eyebrow.

“One of the tranquil mages under my care, yes,” Meredith shot back before he could accuse her of anything. “I admit to not having had the… pleasure of meeting many seekers but I find the interest you have taken in Alba to be unusual.”

The seeker uncrossed his legs and leaned forwards in his chair. “Have I taken your Captain’s favorite plaything away?” he sneered. “My interest in Alba is indeed something you should be concerned about but not for the reason you seem to be implying.”

“If you have an accusation be upfront about it,” Meredith growled. “I am not one for intrigue Seeker.”

“Tell me about the circumstances that led to the right being performed on Alba.”

“I was not directly involved,” Meredith said, waving a hand dismissively. “Some of my templars were patrolling the city and suspected that she was an apostate and a melificar. Knight Captain Cullen could not determine that she was not a danger to the city and, as she refused the harrowing, she was made tranquil.”

“Is it common for your templars to patrol the streets and to detain suspected maleficarum?” The seeker asked. 

“No,” she replied. Meredith had the sudden feeling that she had walked into a trap. Still, she refused to back down from this. “Recent events have left the city guard undermanned and we have been providing support where needed. My men are more skilled at finding apostated than the guards and I suspect that Alba had been hiding under their noses for some time.”

“Yet you have no definitive proof that she was ever a mage,” said the seeker. “In fact, she claimed that she had never had magical talent.”

“And you believe her?”

“I have no reason not to,” he replied. “She is already tranquill and gained nothing from the lie. Your captain is convinced she is lying for fear of further punishment but I am inclined to believe that she was an innocent you wrongly severed.”

This was not at all how Meredith had expected this meeting to go.

“Kirkwall has far more tranquil than other circles I have seen. By a wide margin in fact. Some of your mages have told me that you brand dissidents who have passed their harrowing, or that you sometimes pick at random to punish groups.”

Meredith leaned forwards in her seat. “I do what I must to maintain order in the city,” she said. “The mages here do not fear death and any other punishments could devise were either insufficient or excessively cruel. Tranquility is the one thing that gives them pause” The seeker opened his mouth to object but Meredith spoke over him until he quieted. “I know my methods seem harsh, but we are teetering on the edge of something far worse here. Maleficarum here are far more organized then in the other circles you have visited. Alba and Elsa,” Meredith turned her attention to the two tranquill present, “have you been mistreated while under my care?”

“You have provided all the safety and comfort I require, ” Elsa replied.

“Commander Cullen had treated me with more respect than many who I had known before coming to the circle,” Alba added.

“I am not cruel,” Meredith said firmly. “Despite what others will tell you, I do care about my duty to my charges. I simply recognize the danger they pose and take a pragmatic approach to containing that threat.”

There was a long silence after that. Meredith had said all she had to say and feared anything further would only weaken her case. The seeker seemed to be deep in though for quite a while. Meredith soon began to feel impatient but refused to give the seeker the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. After several minutes he re-crossed his legs and spoke.

“I feel I must agree with you,” he said. “The mages complain about their treatment but when has that not been the case? You are far harsher than is normal with your charges but after familiarizing myself with the history of Kirkwall, especially the last few years, I must agree that your leadership is in the best interest of the city. However, I remain of the belief that Alba was wrongly accused of being a maleficar and I will be taking her with me when I go. She will take in an administrative role on the seeker fortress.”

Meredith felt a great weight lift at the seeker’s words. While she never doubted herself, the possibility that the seekers or even the Divine would not agree had weighed heavily on her. She feared what would become of Kirkwall should someone less capable of maintaining control be put in her place. She stood and nodded her to the seeker.

“Does this mean you will be leaving us?” she asked, trying to hide the hope in her voice.

“Soon,” the seeker nodded. “There is one more matter I wish to investigate. One that puzzles me, especially since it stands in such sharp contrast to how you normally operate.”

“The Champion?” Meredith guessed.

“The Champion,” the seeker agreed.


End file.
